World Plant Milk Day Date in the current year: August 22, 2024

Humans first learned to consume animal milk following the domestication of cattle, sheep and goats, and the Industrial Revolution led to the development of the modern dairy industry. Dairy milk is ubiquitous in many households around the globe because of its high nutritional value, but a lot of people cannot consume it due to being lactose intolerant or for ethical reasons.

This is where plant-based milk alternatives come into play. Plant milk is a plant beverage that resembles milk; the degree of resemblance, however, may vary. Most plant milks are white like dairy milk, but their taste may not resemble dairy milk at all.

Plant milks can be made from grains, nuts, pseudocereals, legumes, seeds, and fruit (coconuts). The most common plant milks are almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, rice milk, and soy milk. Although some plant milks have been known for centuries, it wasn’t until recently that plant-based alternatives to dairy milk became truly popular among consumers. Key reasons for the increase in their popularity are lactose intolerance, climate change, and animal welfare concerns.

World Plant Milk Day has been celebrated every August 22 since 2017. It was created by vegan educator and environmentalist Robbie Lockie, co-founder of Plant Based News and PBN Food. The main goals of the holiday are to celebrate plant-based milk, educate people about the impressive variety of non-dairy alternatives to regular milk, and encourage them to transition to these alternatives.

A lot of people believe that non-dairy milk is just for vegans and lactose intolerant people. However, there are more reasons to switch to plant milk, at least partially. For example, plant milk is more sustainable than dairy milk. Animal husbandry is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, so switching to plant-based milk is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

In addition, only a very small percentage of dairy milk is cruelty-free. Some farms treat their milk cows better then others, but the dairy industry is a major source of stress to cows. Although there are ethical dairy farms where cows are well cared for and seen as more than just a source of milk, their number is relatively low and their milk is usually more expensive. If you care about animal welfare, it is much easier to just switch to plant-based milk.

How can you celebrate World Plant Milk Day? You can try as many varieties of non-dairy milk as you can to choose the one you like the most, encourage your friends and family to at least try plant-based milk, experiment with substituting plant milk for regular milk in various recipes, try making your own plant milk, take up the 7-day dairy-free challenge starting on August 22, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #WorldPlantMilkDay.